In the article series “Building Bridges” we focus on initiatives that bridge the gap between Switzerland and China. In the first story of the series, we introduce “Route 2 China” – a company that organizes internships in China. Do you know of an initiative of this kind, which should be covered here? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Route 2 China – Practice-based learning

One thing is for certain, the best way to get to know a country and its people is to have the opportunity to work there. This is how Route 2 China wants to familiarise young Swiss people with China. They organise specialised internships in China. This October, a group of 15 computer science apprentices from Zurich spent three weeks in Shanghai.

With the support of a Fund from the Middle School and Vocational training office of the Canton of Zurich, the apprentices had the opportunity to meet the fastest growing economy in the world. Beside the working time in a tech coworking space, different activities and visits were organised for them to explore the rich Chinese culture and its social particularities.

They could also learn the basics of Mandarin, difficult but interesting due to the many different sounds and pronunciations. They went to Hangzhou, a city nearby Shanghai, visiting Nihub, a startups incubator founded by a Swiss entrepreneur, have a look at the impressive Alibaba headquarters and the famous West Lake listed with Unesco Heritage.

When asked if they could imagine another professional trip to China, 10 of the participants answered yes.

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